Overheated
by BabyBrown
Summary: My entry to the 12 Days of Clois Challenge. Lights Display was the prompt.


**This was my entry to the 12 Days of Clois Christmas Challenge**

**Prompt**: Lights Display  
**Rating**:T  
**Word Count:** 1,992  
**Summary**:Clark helps Lois with her Christmas decorations  
**Spoilers**:up to season 8  
**A/N: **Lois has her own apartment already (think Lois's apartment in Superman w/Reeves and Kidder).

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"Hey Smallville. What are you doing here?" Clark smiled and handed Lois the box he held in his hands "You mentioned earlier that you didn't have enough Christmas lights. I remembered there were some extra on the farm so I thought you'd like to have them" Clark took a quick look around "Although I think you've got enough lights already. It's like the sun in here" "You can never have enough lights. Besides, I needed lights for the balcony." She then smiled brightly up at him "Always coming to my rescue Smallville. I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Lois teased and walked into the living room. Clark shook his head and smiled as he followed Lois. Clark chuckled as he looked around the apartment. In true Lois fashion, she went all out with the Christmas decorations. "Lois, don't you think you went a little overboard on the decorations?" "Me go overboard? Please." Clark chuckled softly as she rolled her eyes and continued hanging ornaments on the tree.

For the first time since he entered the apartment, Clark noticed how Lois looked. She was wearing a pair of old sweat pants and a sweater that was at least two sizes too big on her, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. He had a nagging suspicion that it might have been one of his. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun with her bangs softly framing her face, which she kept blowing away from her eyes. As Clark stood watching her, he felt an eerie sense of calm wash over him. It was a strange and new feeling he was beginning to associate it with Lois. He noticed that whenever he was near her, he never felt more comfortable in his own skin. She made him feel accepted for who he was and never expected anything.

He didn't even notice he was staring at her until she looked over her shoulder and said "Quit looking at my ass Smallville" Clark's jaw dropped "What?! I...wasn't...no..." She chuckled under her breath when she saw him start to blush. He was cute when he started stammering. *Cute? When did Smallville become cute?* "I'm just joking Clark. Seriously, you are too easy. How about you make yourself useful and check if those lights of yours work." Clark swallowed nervously and took off his jacket. "Um, sure." Lois smiled and turned around to put the last ornament on the tree. She stepped back and placed her hands on her hips, admiring her decorating skills. "Perfect. What do you think Smallville?"

Lois turned around and tried desperately to keep from laughing. In the process of unstringing the lights, Clark ended up tangled up with them with a confused look on his face. Like he had no idea how he ended up in this situation. Even though he was a grown man there were moments, just like this one, that made him look like a young boy. It was an endearing quality that Lois loved; that no matter what happened in his life, there was always that sweet innocence inside him. "Um, Lois. A little help please?" Lois chuckled as she made her way over to him. "What would you do without me Smallville?" Clark smirked "I'd finally be rid of this headache I've had for the past four years?" Lois placed her hands on her hips "Do you want my help or not? Cause I don't think you want to go through life as a walking Christmas tree." Clark sighed "Fine. I'd be lost without you Lois." She smiled "That's more like it. Now let's get you out of there."

With every knot Lois untangled, there were ten more knots that formed. Both of them knew that patience was not one of her strong suits and that her short supply was running out. Clark stood patiently and watched as she worked. He was strangely hypnotized by the way she would mutter a few words and then bite her lower lip in concentration. Suddenly, he felt a familiar pressure beginning to build behind his eyes when she slowly licked her lips. Quickly shutting his eyes, he tried to get his powers under control. He thought that not looking at her would help but with his eyes closed, his other senses began to work in overdrive. He could hear every breath, he could hear every heartbeat. With every movement she made, she stirred the air with her scent; a combination of cinnamon and coffee that immediately made him think of home. The pressure in his eyes slowly lessened but it was immediately replaced with confusion. He should not be feeling these feelings for her. Lois was his best friend and he the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize their friendship.

"Finished!" Clark jumped to attention as Lois clapped her hands in relief. She looked up at him and smirked "Aw. Did I wake Clarkie up from his nap? I'm so happy you were able to sleep while I was busy freeing you from your sparkly prison." He felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment "I wasn't sleeping" "You're eyes were closed and you were breathing deeply. I know a sleeping person when I see one." He figured it was a better (and safer) option to let Lois think he was sleeping than to tell her he was busy smelling her. "You're right." Lois held her hand up to her ear "Excuse me, what did you say?" "You were right Lois" He rolled his eyes as he lifted the neat pile of lights. "Where are you going with those?" "I'm going to check to see if there are any burnt out lights."

Lois watched as Clark bent down to plug in the lights. She glad his back was towards her because it gave her the opportunity to admire his body without embarrassment. The muscles in his arms and upper back were impressive. She imagined them wrapped around her; keeping her safe and warm. Clark sat on the floor as he inspected every light bulb. With the way his large fingers were gently and efficiently working through the lights, she couldn't help but imagine what else they were good at. Her breathing became erratic as her imagination came up with various situations where his fingers were on her body. Clark looked up at the sound of her breathing and frowned. "Lois, are you okay?" Her eyes snapped to his and cleared her thick throat "Y-yeah. I'm fine." Lois felt like the temperature in the room went up twenty degrees. She pulled at her collar "It's just hot in here isn't it?" Clark continued frowning "Not really" "I'm just gonna go get a drink of water. Do you want one? I'll bring you one." Lois practically ran out of the room. Splashing cold water on her face, Lois willed herself to calm down. 'This is pathetic. I'm like a dog in heat. It's just Smallville, Lois. Pull yourself together.'

Clark watched as Lois walked back into the living room with two glasses of water. "Thanks" he said as he took his glass. He watched as she put her drink down on the table and took off her sweater, revealing a very form revealing tank top. The water suddenly seemed like a lifesaver as his throat became completely dry. Lois seemed to be extremely thirsty as she downed the whole glass in under a second. Clark's heart began to thunder in his chest as he watched a stray water drop travel from her chin down her neck, where it disappeared in the valley of her breasts. The one hand still holding onto the lights suddenly clenched, causing an explosion of light as each bulb popped.

Lois yelled out his name in concern as she rushed to him. "Clark! Are you okay?!" She immediately unplugged the lights and went to inspect his hand. Clark quickly stood "I'm fine. See nothing's wrong." Clark watched as Lois carefully inspected his hand, concern etched all over her face. "Lois, I'm fine." Her eyes looked up into his and he couldn't help but think that her hazel eyes were the warmest things he had ever seen. They were pulling him in and without thinking, he slowly began to lean down into her.

Lois panicked as she watched him lean in. She still didn't know what she felt about him and she didn't want to risk losing him over a kiss. With a power she didn't know she had, she let go of his hand and turned away. She quickly put her sweater back on and grabbed another string of lights. "I'm just gonna go put these lights on outside." She didn't even look back at him as she rushed out to the balcony.

The cold air felt amazing on her warm skin. 'I almost kissed Smallville' It took her a few minutes but she was finally able to get her breathing back to normal. She started up the ladder to start stringing the lights above her balcony window.

Just when she was almost finished, all the lights in her apartment suddenly went out. 'Damn fuse box.' The only negative thing about her new apartment was the fact that the fuse box would randomly overheat and burn out. Starting down the ladder, Lois slipped as her foot missed a step on the ladder. She braced herself for the hard cold cement ground when a pair of big arms suddenly wrapped around her. Her eyes snapped open and were met with a pair of large blue-green eyes staring down at her. "Are you okay?" Lois suddenly felt her mind go blank. She couldn't think while he was touching her. His left arm was underneath her knees while his right hand was holding the back of her neck. She felt his thumb pressing that one perfect spot behind her ear that could render her speechless. It was as if every nerve ending in her body was suddenly on fire.

"Lois, why are the lights out?" Realizing that he was talking, she concentrated on paying attention to his words and not the lips that were speaking them. "Uh...I think the fuse box overheated." Lois gulped as she looked into Clark's caring eyes. With the way he was holding her so gently and the way he was looking at her, she was starting to know how that fuse box felt.

Having Lois in his arms felt right to him. Like his arms were made for her and her alone. It annoyed him when he realized that the only way he was able to hold her was when she was in danger of hurting herself. When he heard her small catch of breath when she slipped, his heart stopped and on instinct, he used his super speed to catch her. Thankfully her eyes had been closed so she wouldn't have been able to see anything. Clark looked down into Lois' eyes and his breath caught. She had the biggest heart of anyone he had ever known. Lois was always taking care of others and in that moment, as Clark held her in his arms, he knew that he wanted to be the one who took care of her.

As they stared into each other's eyes, it was as if time had stopped and they were the only two people in the world. They were wrapped in the dark with only the moon light to see. Clark watched as snowflakes began to land on Lois' face and set her back onto her feet. He then held her face in his hands and slowly began brushing a few snowflakes off her face with his fingers, leaving a warm trail across her face. He felt her place a timid hand on his chest as she stared into his eyes.

Lois and Clark didn't even notice the lights turn back on. They were too lost in each other's lips.

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**Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy ;D**


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